Towel dispensing apparatus



prl 29, wm., P. F. HOAG ETAL 2,239,850

TOWEL DISPENSIG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 7, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS faam! E' Ma@ Bvfmdl ill @WM ATTO R N EY pr 29, 1941. P. F. HOAG ETAL TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. '7, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffl lNVE

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I WAYI'TO RN EYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. F. HOAG ETAL TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 7, 1939 44 VMWH] W mw? 00am E 20 ma m j E! o Wrm MMT g aw. fm w W Y w. v L .w E

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 TOWEL .DIsPENsING APPARATUS Paul F. Hoag, Brooklyn, .N. Y., and Paul D. Payne, Irvington, N. J.; said Payne assignor to said Hoag Application October 7, 1939, Serial No. 298,380

(ICI. S12-38) Z2 Claims.

This invention relates totowel dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to so-called towel cabinets for dispensing successive portions of a continuous web or sheet of toweling, for use as required'.

An important object of the invention is to provide novel and eflicient towel dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense continuous toweling from a supply thereof and collect the used portions'of toweling successively on a collecting roll or the like, wherein the control arrangements are such that uponoperating a control element, the toweling is automatically ejected and made to fall in a loop depending from the cabinet for use, and wherein the towel-handling i arrangements cause the loop to consist oi a fresh portion of toweling suiiicient for use together with a portion of previously-used toweling to provide a conveniently extensive loop dependingl `from the machine. Normally `the loop of toweling is drawn back entirely within the cabinet; and thus not only are vthe criteria of neatness, cleanliness and sanitation fully achieved, vbut the structure is adapted for` efficient and economical operation at all times. Tha-t is, for eX- ample, using a manual control element, the operator need not pull on the toweling at any time in order to extract a fresh supply from the roll of clean toweling-and thus the structure avoids the undesirable lengthening of the loop, which is practically impossible to prevent over a long period of operations by pulling on the loop. At

rthe same time, by the automatic inclusion in the loop of a portion of previously-used toweling,

the loop is of sufcient size for convenient use., .y

while economically presenting enough, but no more than enough, clean toweling for a single Iplified and eiiicient means kfor locking 'the feed and` take-up devices after loop-ejecting operation, so as to avoid the withdrawal of further toweling by pull -on the loop; and improved `means for locking the apparatus against further yuse when the supply of clean toweling is exhausted, including arrangements whereby following the use of the last available toweling, the free end of the same is withdrawn entirely Within the cabinet and the mechanism locked against further actuation andk withdrawal of toweling upon any subsequent attempt to operate the control element.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simplified, improved and more eicient structure for towel dispensing apparatus, particularly to render the same both fool-proof and economical in operation. vAdditional objects include those hereinafter apparent or incidental to the invention, of which a presently preferred embodiment is illustrated, Vby way of example, in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa front elevation of the' dispensing apparatus, showing the housing or casing in section on line I-l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 2--2 of Fig. l, showing the upper part of the mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View generally on line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing the parts in some- `what different position from Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a reduced plan view of the mechanism, showing the housing in section;

Fig. 5 is a View generally similar to Fig. with the parts in a further position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3. with the parts in a still further position and with `certain parts broken away or removed; and

Fig. '7 is a reduced schematic view, generally corresponding to a vertical section seen as in Fig. 3, showing the several towel handling rollers and the path of toweling.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the cabinetl vconveniently comprises a suitable case or housing, whichA maybe made of metal or other durable material and which may be arranged to be mounted against a wall or other support by appropriate means not shown. The case thus includes a rear wall 20, a cover element comprising a top wall 2l and front wall 22, which may be formed of lthe same sheet of metal, and connected, tov the upper edge of the back wall by suitable hinges 23,-so that the cover structure may be swung up and away from the cabinet, as indicated by the dotted lines 24 in Fig. 3. The casing also includes yside Walls'25, 2S (see Fig. 4)

3, but

which are retained in appropriately spaced relation by the intermediate mechanism as hereinafter described. The left-hand wall 25, as seen in Fig. 4, is carried on the back wall 26 by means of vertically disposed hinges 2'|. Releasable self- 5 engaging supporting means are conveniently provided intermediate the right hand side of the wall 26 and the rear edge of the wall 26 (as seen in Fig. 4) to aord support for the right hand side of the structure when the walll 25 and its attached mechanism are in place and the housing is closed up-for example, inwardly offset lugs 33 extending rearwardly from the rear edge of the wall 26, to slide into and cooperate with suitable vertical slots or keepers 34 mounted on a vertical flange 33a of the rear wall 20. It will be understood that only one such device is shown in Fig. 4; but if desired, a plurality of the same may be spaced along the rear edge ofthe wall 26, for more edective support of the'same in vertical position when the'device is closed up.

The top plate 2| is provided with depending anges 28 at its sides, and the front wall 22 is similarly provided with rearwardly extending flanges 29 along its vertical edges, to overlap correspondingly offset edge portions of the side walls 25, 26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 respectively. I'he front wall 22 also has a rearwardly extending ange 3E) along its bottom edge (see F'ig. 3), to overlap the front ends of inwardly turned bottom plates 3|, 32 extending from the lower ends of the side walls 25, 26 respectively (see Figs. 1 and 3). As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom portions 3|, 32 extend only a short distance from their respective side walls, so as to provide a large opening at' the bottom of the cabinet for the ejection of the towel loop as hereinafter described.

The enclosed apparatus, which includes a plurality of towel-handling rollers, is attached to the wall 26, and comprises a pair of end plates 40, 4| spaced by the intermediate rollers, particularly the guide roller assemblies 43, 44 in front and back at the bottom. The plates 40, 4| are tied to the side wall 26 by the spacing and tie rod assembly 42 at the top, and the mechanism is further supported by lugs or brackets 45 on the front wall 22 and 46 on the rear wall 20, respectively adapted to receive the ends of the shafts of theroller assemblies 43, 44. Thus the mechanism may be seated against the rear wall by sliding the ends of the shaft of roller 44 into the horizontal slots of the brackets 46 and at thesame time by bringing the fastenings of wall 26, illustrated by the lug 33 in Fig. 4, into en gagement with the receiving means therefor on the rear wall. The hinged wall 25 has a hole 41 to receive and support an adjacent end 48 of the rod 42 when the wall is swung froman open position into that illustrated in Fig.` 4.

It will now be appreciated that in order to obtain access to the interior of the cabinetfor the insertion and removal of toweling and for other purposes the cover portion 2|, 22 is rst swung up out of the way about its hinges 23,`and then while holding the wall 26 and the attached mechanism, the side wall 25 is swung outwardly (clockwise as seen in Fig. 4) away from the rear wall 2|). The interior mechanism attached to the wall 26, including the towel-handling parts, may now'be lifted from the wall 20 for loading or reloading of toweling. When the loading operation is completed, the mechanism is re-seated against Athe wall 2|) as hereinabove described, the wall 25 is swung back toits original position 75 (so that the hole 47 re-engages the shaft-end 48), and the cover 2|-22 is swung clown into place to hold all of the parts in closed positionthe lugs or brackets then sliding into supporting engagement with the ends of the shaft of roller 43.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the towel handling and operating mechanism, as shown in the several drawings: With their axes parallel on a horizontal plane at about the middle of the apparatus, two towel-advancing rolls 50, 5| are mounted on appropriate shafts 52, 53 respectively, journaled in the end plates 40, 4|. 'I'he roll 53is arranged for advancing fresh toweling 'and the roll 5| for taking up or reversely advancing used toweling, and each roll is conveniently provided with a grip-ping surface, as of emery paper, sand paper or other abrasive material, for positive engagement with the web of toweling. Spring-pressed idler rolls are conveniently provided for abutment with the rolls 50, 5| to maintain the towel in engagement with the latter for proper advancing action. Thus the idler roll 54 is journaled in vertical slots in the members 40, 4| (as illustrated in Figs. 3 and. 5) and is urged against the roll 50 by springs 55 which are adapted to be moved out of the illustrated normal position, to permit lifting the roll 54 up in its slots (where it may then rest on the upper surfaces 56 of the released springs 55) when toweling isto be threaded through the machine. Similarly, the idler roll 51 is mounted in U-shaped slots in the end Aplates 43, 4| and is urged against the take up roll 5| by a spring 53 at each slot (only one slot and spring, at plate 4|, being shown in the'drawings)-it being understood that to keep the roll 5l out of place for threading operation, it is pushed down and back in its U-shaped slots, whereupon the springs 58 hold the shaft in the rearward arms of the slots.

The supply of clean toweling is obtained'from a supply roll 6|! resting in a trough-like portion 6| of a separator member 62, conveniently of sheet metal or the like, which extends transversely across the cabinet between the plates 40, 4| and upwardly between the advance and take up rolls 5|), 5|. It will be understood that the separator 62 thus affords an effective sanitary separation between those portions of the apparatus handling clean toweling and the portions handling used toweling. From the supply roll 66, the clean towel goes between a pair of transverse tensioning or snubbing rods 63, 64, passing in front of rod 63 and around behind rod 64 whereby the toweling is brought into contact with theadvancing roll at a point spaced a substantial circumferential distance from the engagement of the idler roll 54 therewith. The tensioning rods serve primarily to smooth out the toweling and to keep slack away from the rolls 56, 54.

The used toweling is taken up on a roll 65 which rotates on a shaft 66 journaled in vertical slots 6l' in the plates 40, 4| (the slot in plate 4| being the only one illustrated, as that in plate 46 is identical). The arrangement of the slot is `such that the roll 65' always rests against the surface of the take up roll 5|-i. e., so that the winding of the toweling is effected by the contact of roll 5| with the toweling as it is wound upon roll 65. By virtue of the slot construction, open atthe top of the plates 40 and 4|, the shaft '66 may be readily taken out, with the roll of used toweling, for removal of the latter from the machine when it is desired to insert a new roll 60 of Vclean toweling. Itwill now'be seen that the normal path of towel travel is as represented in Fig. 'l by dot and dash lines, except that the depending loop of toweling, ejected at desired times for use, is indicated by the dotted line 68, which will thus be understood to represent the section of toweling intermediate rollers 43 and 44 when it has dropped down to form a loop.

To operate the towel-driving rollers 50, the latter are respectively provided with driving pinions 10, 1| at the Iouter side of the plate 4|, and means are provided for holding the pinions against rotation at certain times. The latter comprise single tooth members or detents 12, 13, respectively engageable with the pinions 10, 1| and having spring-pressed 'operating arms to bring them into engagement with the pinions, and inwardly extending camming `projections 14, 15, whereby on engagement of either camming projection by a toothed surface of a rack in position to engage the corresponding pinion, the corresponding detent tooth is swung out of locking position with the pinion. To operate the pinions a rack 'member 1B is arranged to reciprocate in a substantially vertical direction between the pinions, and has teeth 11 substantially all along its Yside facing the pinion 1| and teeth 18 along an upper portion only of its side facing pinion it being understood that the amount of fresh toweling advanced at each operation of the machine may be governed by the number of teeth 18 provided on that side of the rack member which is to engage pinion 10.

rIhe lower end of the rack member 16 is guided for movement in a vertical direction by a pin 19, which projects through a vertical slot 80 in the lower part of the plate 4|. On the opposite side of the rack member 15, the pin 19 conveniently provides for the connection of one end of a coil spring 8| which has its other end connected to a xed post 82 `at the topof plate 4|; the spring being tensioned so as to urgethe rack member 16 in an upwand direction at all times. The upper end of the rack member is provided with a guiding pin 85 which extends into another slot in the plate 4|, the last mentioned slot having a long vertical portion 86 extending down from the top of the plate, and having a lower offset vertical portion 81 in parallel with another lower portion 88 which is in alignment with the upper portion 8B.

The slot portions 81 and 88, communicating at the bottom, are otherwise separated by a vertical wall 89, having an upper portion. 90 which normally extends obliquely across the upper end of the slot portion. 83 (see Fig. 5) so that the pin 85, traveling down the slot 86, is at the end of the latter guided downwardly to the left (as seen in Fig. 5) and on into the slot portion 81. The wall 89 is carried by a plate 8| pivoted at andfspring-pressed about a bolt 02 on ythe plate 4|, whereby the wall 89 is normally biased to occupy the position shown in solid lines in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. If the pin 85, however, travels upwardly in slot portion 88, it will strike the oblique guide 90 `and move the latter (and wall 89) to the dot Iand dash line position of Fig. 6, permitting the pin to pass on up into the slot portion 86.

It will now be seen that if the rack member 19 ismoved downwardly from the positions shown, for example, in Fig. 3 (which is a normal rest position as hereinafter explained) ,the rack portion 11, being in engagement with the pinion 53, rotates the latter andcauses the towel driv ing roll 5| to feed back used toweling over the roll 51 and guide 44 to commence the formation of the loop 68 (see Fig. 7). As soon as the pin reaches the offset `portion of its vertical slot, it rides across onr the surface 90, shifting the upper part of the rack member tio the left and carrying the rack portion 18 over into engagement with pinion 10; the rack section 18 has a leading camming surface 93 which at the same time `abuts the pinion lock projection 14 and thereby shifts the tooth 12 out of locking engagement with pinion 10. Simultaneously, the rack section 11 is mloved away from pinion 1|, interrupting the rotation of the latter, and the same displacement of the rack member also permits the locking tooth 13 (its camming projection 15 having previously been engaged, and held in unlocked position, by the rack teeth 11) to move into locking engagement with the pinion 1|. Further downward travel of the rack member (as the pin 85 traverses the slot portion 81-see Fig. 5) rotates the pinion 10 and the towel driving roll 50, advancing a predetermined portion of clean toweling from the supply 60, and over the idler roll 54 and guide 43, to complete the formation of the loop 88 depending from the cabinet.

As the rack member 15 approaches the llower limit of its travel, -determined by the bottom surface 94 of the slot portions 81, 88, means are provided for locking the rack in its lowermost position, conveniently such as to hold it there for only a predetermined length of time. To that endthe rack member carries a stud 95 which near the lower end of rack travel is adapted to strike the upper surface of an arm 96 connected to the plunger 91 of a pneumatic time delay device generally designated 98. Although other timing mechanisms may be employed, devices of the pneumatic type are convenient and readily adjustable and such apparatus is consequently employed in the illustrated embodiment. The pneumatic device 98 may be of known construction, comp-rising a depressible plunger 91, which upon being depressed, will rise at a slow rate and arrive Iat its upper limit of extension only after the expiration of a predetermined time, say thirty :or forty-five seconds. Valve means of a known type (hence not shown) may be provided in the device 98,`ior control by a knob 99 to adjust the timing, i. e., the delay interval.

The plunger 91 of the timing device also carries a transverse arm |00 provided with a stud |01 which is adapted to engage the under side of a transverse arm |02 which extends from a latch member |03 that is pivoted to the plate 4| about a post |84 on the latter. The latch member |03 `and its arm |02 are biased to swing -in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6) by means of a suitable coil spring |05 encircling the post |04. The latch member |03 has at its lower end a recess or offset portion |08, adap-ted to engage a stud |01 which projects outwardly from the surface of the rack member 18. When the plunger 91 of the timing device 4is in its no-rmal released position (Fig. 3), its associated stud |0| keeps the latch member |03 out of the `path of the stud |01. However, as the plunger is depressed by the downward displacement of the stud 95 on the rack member,

the latch member |03 swings about counterclockwise, whereupon as the rack descends, the stud |01 rst engages the outer surface of the member |03 (see Fig. 5), swinging the latter clockwise, and upon further downward displacement of the rack member, the locking recess |06 of the latch member swings back to engage the stud |01, and to hold it in the manner shown in Fig. 6.

The rack member is now at the lowermost point of its travel, and by spring means hereinafter described, is immediately urged to the right (as seen in Figs. and `t), so as to move the pin 815 across the bottom slot wall 84 and below the lower end of the wall 88, thus locating the pin, in effect, in the bottom of the slot portion 88. This shift of the rack member correspondingly brings the stud 95 out of engagement with the surface of the plunger arm 98, releasing the plunger; The latch |83, however, continues to hold the rack member in its described position while the released plunger v91 is now traveling slowly upward (see Fig. 6). Eventually, at the expiration of the predetermined time, the plunger returns to its uppermost position, and as it approaches such position, the stud lill re-engages the arm |82 of the latch, so as to move the latter clockwise and release it from the stud |87 on the rack member; whereupon the rack member is free to travel back up, in response to the tension oi spring 8| and with the pin 85 following the slot portions 88 and 86 and camming the oblique guide 98 out of the way, in the manner hereinabove explained, during its upward travel.

Throughout the upward movement of the rack member 'I1 to its original position of Fig. 3, its toothed portion is thus kept in engagement with the pinion '|I, and the locking tooth 'i3 is kept out of engagement with the latter; it being understood that the shift of the rack member to the position of Fig. 6 served to rock the pinion lock projection 'l5 to the right at the outset of the upward movement. At the same time the rack portion 18 passes entirely clear of the pinion 10, which is consequently held against rotation by its locking tooth 12. Thus on the return travel of the rackmember, roll v5| is advanced in a reverse or takeup direction so as to wind on to the roll 85 an amount of toweling exactly equal to that which was previously advanced into the loop 88 from the rolls 68 and 65 together.

Although other means and control devices may be provided for operating the rack member, a vconvenient manually displaceable arrangement is illustrated in the drawings, as follows. The pin or stud 85 extends outwardly as well as inwardly from the rack (see Fig. 1) and the outer end of the pin is adapted to have its upper surface en- .gaged by a concave camming element ||l projecting inwardly from the end of a link pivoted at its other end to an operating lever H2. The opposite end of the operating lever i I2 is secured to a shaft ||3 which is rotatably mounted in the outer wall 28 of the cabinet and has secured at its outer end a suitable crank Hl which normally projects upward (as shown in Fig. 1) when ythe parts are in a position of rest. Intermediate the cabinet wall 28 and the assembly which comprises link and operating arm H8, there is disposed a guide plate H5, conveniently mounted on and spaced from the inside of the wall 28.

The guide plate ||5 contains a slot H8 having an enlarged lower portion identical in contour with the outer periphery of the previously described slot portions 81, 88, and having an4 upper portion which, for a predetermined extent, conforms with the slot portion 88 in the wall @L Instead, however, of extending to the full upper limit of slot 88, the slot H5 in the plate l5 turns -in an oblique direction at its upper end, so as to afford a by-pass portion as shown in Fig. 2. The end of link |l| carrying the camming element H8 has on its outer surface a projecting pin and button assembly |28 slidably engaged in the slot ||8| whereby the path of travel of the camming element H8 is confined to the contour of the slot just described. It will be understood that the slot l is spaced from but in registry with the slot 88-8'1-88. A suitable coil spring |2| is connected intermediate a stud |22 on the plate 4| and an appropriate stud |23 on the link so as to urge theV link and its attendant apparatus (including the arm I l2 and crank lill) in a direction obliquely upward and to the right as seen in Fig. 2.

When the apparatus is fitted with a supply of toweling and the latter has been threaded rthrough for use in the manner shown in Fig. '7, an initial adjustment is made as follows. The rack 'F8 is manually depressed from its extreme upper position shown in Fig. 2, to a position where the stud 85 is slightly or somewhat below the upper end of the straight portion of the slot i i8. With the rack 76 in this position, the used towel roll is raised and wound up so that Vupon release of the roll, the toweling is held taut around the outside of the bottom 6| of the separator, as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. '7. It will be understood that in this initial setting, the roll 51 is not replaced in its clamping position on roll 5| until after the towel has been drawn taut as just described. With the towel thus drawn taut from the roll 58, now locked by engagement of its locking tooth l2 with its pinion l0, the rack can no longer travel above the position just determined--until thesupply of toweling is used up, as hereinafter described.

Nowin order to operate the device (the cabinet having been closed), the user need merely pull forward on the crank H4, as seen in Fig. 1. The arm I |2 is thereupon rocked in a counterclockwisedirection (Fig. 2), causing the pin |28 and its associated camming element ID to move down along the slot portion (against the spring |2I) and into engagement of the camming projection with the pin 85. Thereupon 4further displacement of the crank in a forwardly and downwardly direction, through the instrumentalities of the arm H2, link I, cam H8 and pin 85, moves the rack member 'i8 in its downward path and to the lower limit thereof, in the manner previously explained. Since the rack is there held by the latch |83, the operator may immediately release the crank, which returns to its original position (together with its attendant instrumentalities H2, |28 and H8) under the .influence of spring |2|.

It may be noted that the concave camming element H0 has conveniently sufficient lateral extension to prevent inadvertent release of the pin 85, should the user inadvertently permit the handle to fly back just as the other side of the pin is moving over, or after it has moved over, from the slot 86 to the offset slot portion 81. That is, thepin |28- of the operating arm assembly might conceivably shift rearwardly (to the right in Fig. 2) in the lower widened portion of slot H8 upon an early release of the handle, and permit the pin 85 and rack 16 to return (underaction of the spring 8|) ahead of the pin |28 and its associated camming element H0, unless the last mentioned element is sufficiently wide, as just explained, to prevent such overtaking and to insure that every return movement of the rack follows the return of the handle and the camming element IIU. Furthermore, the spring I2 I, acting obliquely as shown, conveniently cooperates in effecting a positive shift of the upper end of the rack member 'I6 to the right and into the position of Fig, 6, when the rack member is at the lowermost point of its travel. That is to say, the spring I2I tends to urge the rack member to the right as the latter travels down, and when the pin 85 reaches the bottom 94 of the slot 81, the action ofthe spring, while the user is still pushing down on handle I I4, pulls the pin and the rack over to the right (as seen in Fig. 6), so as to afford the desired release of the stud 95 fro-m the timing plunger arm 96, and so as to position the rack member for its ultimate upward travel.

To cooperate in holding the rack in place during its various operations as described, the lower part of the plate 4I may be faced with appropriate spacing strips |30, I3I, and means may be provided for retaining the outer surface of the rackagainst the spacing strips. The last mentioned means may include washers or plate elementsl |32, |33 disposed at the outer ends of the shafts 52, 53, and of a size to Overlap the rack portions 78, I'I respectively. Similarly, a vertical guide element |35 may be disposed to abut and overlap the rack member 'II when it is in the upper part of its travel. In this way, the rack member 'I6 is accurately positioned at all times, and yet freely adapted to follow its prescribed path of travel-without undue friction.

It will be understood that when a towel releasing operation is carried through as hereinabove described, the rack member 'I6 ordinarily only returns up toy its previous position, with the pin 85 somewhat below the offset portion III of the guide slot IIB. The tension of the toweling itself, against the separator portion 6I, prevents further upward travel of the rack. However, when the fresh toweling is finally used up, i. e., when a downward operation of the rack has nally advanced the toweling so far that its trailing or free end is just beyond and clear of the engaged rolls Eil-54, the free end thus released will then fall (or be pulled by the user) ouI'l of the bottom of the cabinet. Upon this operation the released clean towel may, of course, vbel used by the operator; but upon the automatic return of the rack member at theend yof the prescribed time, the latter fails to stopat its previous position exemplified in Fig. S-there being now no tensioned loop of toweling to hold it-and moves on up to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the arrangement of teeth on the rack portion 'II is such that this further upward travel of the rack is sufficient for the roll to pull back into the cabinet, and entirely out of sight, all of the toweling which had just been caused to hang down from the cabinet. Thus when the toweling is all used up, the free end is entirely withdrawn into the cabinet, so as to avoid an otherwise unsightly and unsanitary condition, and so as to prevent misuse of the apparatus by persons who might'otherwise attemptto pull back the soiled towel from the bottom of the cabinet.

At the same time, the described travel of the rack I6 to its uppermost position has moved the pin 85 to a place (illustrated in Fig. 2) entirely above the offset slot II'I. Since the somewhat earlier release of the crank handle IIhad already permitted the camming'member-.I I Il to be moved back, as usual, to its normal position of rest (shown in Fig. 2), further downward displacement of the crank handle can now no longer have any eiect on the mechanism. That is to say, if a person now attempts to use the machine, the movement of the crank handle and the arm II2 and link III will merely move these parts idly, since the camming element Ii can no longer engage the stud 85. In consequence, the apparatus is automatically locked, so to speak, against further use until fresh toweling is installed.

For convenience in making initial readjustment of the machine upon reloading, as well as to insure complete upward travel of the rack member upon exhaustion of clean toweling, the rack portion 'Il has a lower surface |25, which engages the pinion lock projection I5 and keeps the tooth 'I3 out of locking position when the rack member has moved to its highest position.

To recapitulate, it will now be appreciated that the described apparatus is extremely simple, foolproof, and easy to operate, both for the person supplying or servicing it and for the user of the toweling. Thus in order to flll the machine, all that is necessary is to open the casing as previously described, insert a clean roll of toweling 60, and thread the same around the several tensioning takeup, idler and guide rolls as hereinabove explained, taking care to make the final adjustment of the rack member I5 in order to bring the stud 85 below the offset slot portion II'I and to have it normally held there by the tension of the toweling which passes under the separator portion 6I. Thereupon the cabinet is closed up and the apparatus is ready for use. To obtain fresh toweling, a user simply pulls the handle forward and down until vthe latch |03 clicks over the stud |01, whereupon release of the handle carries the latter back to its original position. This operation automatically ejects from the bottom of the cabinet a loop of toweling and it will now be understood that this loop consists of a portion of toweling freshly advanced from the roll 6B, through the instrumentality of the rack portion 18, and also a portion of toweling fed back from the roll 65, through the instrumentality of that part of the rack portion 'I'I which is in engagement with the pinion II during the downward travel of the rack. After a predetermined interval of time, which may be readily adjusted to be suiicient for normal use of a portion of toweling, the rack member 16 automatically moves back, so as to Withdraw the loop entirely into the cabinet and to hold the toweling taut against the under side of the separator portion 6I.

It will be appreciated that in the last-mentioned operation, the only driven element is the roll 5I, and the operating pinion II of the latter is engaged not only by the same part of the rack portion 'I'I which functions on the downward trip of the rack, but also by a further portion of the same teeth (at the upper part of the member 75), corresponding exactly in extent to the rack portion IB which previously advanced the fresh OWelilg- Finally, upon the last useful operation, when the supply of fresh toweling is exhausted, the trailing edge of the towel web is drawn completely into the cab-inet and the apparatus is automatically placed in such condition that it can not again be operated until a new roll of clean toweling has been installed.

When the apparatus is in its normal position of` rest (Fig. 3), intermediate successive operations for use of toweling, the clean towel supply is positively locked, against displacement of its advancing roll 50 in either direction, by the engagement of the tooth or detent 12 with the pinion 10. Similarly, when the rack member is at its lowest position (Fig. 6) with a loop of toweling discharged, and. is awaiting its subsequent automatic return, both of the towel advancing rolls 5|, 50 are locked so as to prevent enlargement of the loop by any inadvertent pull on it during its use; roll 5| being held by the engagement of its pinion 1| with the rack and lthe retention of the latter by the latch |03, and roll 50 being again held by the tooth 12 engaging the pinion 10. times, whether in the midst of an operation for use, or intermediate successive cycles of operation, or while the machine is awaiting reloading, that one of the pinions 1U, 1| which is not en- Indeed it will be seen that at all and for normally drawing the toweling of said .loop into` the cabinet, a control element, and

gaged by the rack member is always locked against any rotation and is thus invariably maintained in the proper angular position for its next subsequent re-engagement by the rack member.

It will be understood that the size of the loop 68 and similarly the amount of fresh toweling advanced in each operation, may be readily predetermined by appropriate design of the rolls 50, 5|, and of the teeth on the rack and the cooperating pinions; and it will be further understood that the dimensions and extent of the teeth on the rack, particularly on that portion 11 which engages the pinion 1|, are preferably such as to insure the complete withdrawal of the free end of the toweling into the machine when the supply of toweling has been exhausted.

To facilitate the tracking of the towel around rollers 54, 51, the latter may be provided with cooperating idler guide roll-ers M0, |l|| respectively, mounted in slots in the end plates (as shown) so as to rest, by gravity, on the toweling passing around the rollers 54, 51.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments herein shown and described but may be carried out in other forms without departure from its spirit as deped in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, means for advancing portions of toweling from a supply thereof, associated means for taking up the toweling as advanced by the firstmentioned means, whereby a free, depending loop of toweling may be presented intermediate said advance and take-up means, enclosure means into which said loop may be drawn up, said takeup means including means biased to draw said loop into the enclosure means, a control element and means responsive to operation thereof for effecting operation of said advancing means to advance a fresh portion of toweling into said loop and for causing the biased means to remit into the loop a portion of previously advanced towelling, to automatically discharge from the enclosure means a loop consisting in part only of said advanced fresh portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which also includes time-controlled means brought into play by operation of the control element, for restoring operation of the means biased to draw up the loop, upon the expiration of a predetermined time after operation of said control element.

3. In combination, a cabinet to hold a supply of toweling, means for establishing a free loop of toweling adapted to depend from said cabinet, means for engaging the leading end of said loop means responsive to operation thereof for aclvancing a fresh portion of toweling into said loop and for causing said loop-engaging means to eject a remaining portion of said loop, whereby the loop, containing a fresh portion of toweling, falls into depending position from the cabinet, for use.

4. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, enclosure means, means for advancing fresh toweling from a continuous web supply thereof to form a portion of a loop depending out of said enclosure means, means for taking up the towel- Y ing from said loop into the enclosure means, in-

cluding means selectively operable to advance a portion of taken up toweling into said loop and to take up all of said loop into the enclosure means, a control device, and means responsive to operation of `said device for causing operation of said first-mentioned towel advancing means and for causing said selectively operable means to advance a portion of taken-up toweling, to automatically eject from the enclosure means a depending loop consisting of a predetermined portion of fresh toweling and a predetermined portion of taken-up toweling.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for taking up toweling includes means responsive z, to release of the end of a web of toweling by the advancing means, for drawing up said end of the web into the enclosure means.

6. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, an enclosure, means therein for advancing fresh toweling from a supply thereof, means in the enclosure for displacing the toweling handled by said first-mentioned means, said second-mentioned means being reversibly operable to displace toweling in either direction and being disposed to permit the establishment of a loop of toweling intermediate said first and second mentioned means and depending out of the enclosure, a control device and means responsive to operation thereof for causing each of said rst and second mentioned means to advance a portion of toweling toward the other, whereby a free loop of toweling falls from the enclosure.

17;"In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, an enclosure, means therein for advancing toweling fromv a supply thereof, means for displacing the toweling handled by said first-mentioned means, said displacing means being adapted to permit the establishment of an intermediate toweling loop depending from the enclosure and said displacing means including means normally drawing up the toweling from said loop into the enclosure, a control device and meansv responsive to operation thereof for causing said advancing means to advance a vpredetermined portion of fresh toweling toward the displacing means and for causing the 4displacing means to advance a predetermined portion of toweling toward the advancing means, to establish a depending loop comprising said portions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 which includes time-controlled means brought into play by operation of said control device, for restoring operation of the means for drawing up toweling, to withdraw the loop into the enclosure at a predetermined time after operation of the control device.

9. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, roller. means. for Vadvancing fresh toweling from a supply thereof, reversible roller means for displacing toweling handled by the first mentioned means, a single control device and means responsive to a single operation thereof for operating both said roller means to cause each to advance a portion of toweling toward the other, to establish a loop of toweling for use.

10. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, roller means for advancing fresh toweling from a supply thereof, reversible roller means for displacing toweling handled by the first mentioned means, displaceable operating means for said second roller means normally biased to operate the latter in a direction to draw the toweling taut from the first roller means, a control device and means responsive to operation thereof for causing said rst roller means to advance a predetermined portion of fresh toweling and for operating said displaceable means in an opposite direction, to establish a loop of toweling containing portions advanced by both said roller means. l

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the displaceable operating means comprises means adapted to operate the second roller means substantially beyond a position for holding the tow eling taut from the first roller means, whereby upon release of the end of the supply of toweling by the advancing means, the second roller means draws up said end out f free depending position.

12. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, a pair of towel-advancing rollers, a reciprocable driving device therefor, means responsive to displacement of said device in one direction for operating each of said rollers in a predetermined direction and through a predetermined distance of rotation, and means responsive to displacement ofsaid device in the other direction for operating one of said rollers in a direction opposite to that of its operation by the firstl mentioned means and through a distance of rotation equal to the sum of the distances traveled by both rollers when operated by the rst-mentioned means.

13. In towel dispensing apparatus having means for holding a Supply of fresh toweling and means for receiving used toweling, in combination, roller means adapted to advance fresh toweling from the supply thereof, roller means selectively operable to advance used toweling to and from the means for receiving the same, and operating means for both said roller means, including driving means movable in one direction to operate the first roller means and movable in another direction to operate the second roller means to advance used toweling to the receiving means therefor, said operating means including means causing the driving means, during movement in the first-mentioned direction, also to operate the second roller means to advance used toweling from the receiving means therefor.

14. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, roller means for advancing fresh toweling into a loop for use, roller means for taking up used toweling from said loop, each of said roller means having a driving member therefor, an operating member movable to actuate said driving members and selectively shiftable into engagement with one or the other of said members, and control means for shifting said operating member into engagement with the driving member of the first roller means to drive the same during movement of the operating member in one direction, and for shifting the operating member into engagement with the driving member of the second roller means to drive the same during movement of the operating member in anotherdirection.

15. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, roller means for advancing fresh toweling, roller means for taking up used toweling, each of said roller means having a driving member therefor, a` reciprocable operating member selectively shiftable to engage one or the other of said driving members, control means for maintaining said operating member in engagement with the driving member of the rst roller means during a movement of the operating member in one direction and for shifting said operating member into engagement with the driving member of the second roller means at the end of said movement, latch means for holding the operating member at the end of said movement, and time delay means operable in ,response to the shift of the operating member from the first driving member to the second, for releasing the latch means upon the expiration of a predetermined time after said shift of the operating member,

16. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, means for advancing fresh toweling, means for taking up used toweling, each of said means having a driving member therefor, a reciprocable operating member selectively `shiftable to engage one or the other of said driving members, and control means for maintaining said operating member in engagement with the driving member of the advancing means during a movement of the operating member in one direction and for shifting said operating member into engagement with the driving member 0f the take-up means at the end of said movement.

17. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, a pair of means for advancing toweling and having gear driving means associated with each, a reciprocable rack member having toothed portions respectively adapted to operate said gear means, said rack member being mounted to shift transversely into engagement selectively with one or the other of said gear means, and means for controlling a reciprocated operation of the rack member to drive the gear means, comprising guide and shifting means for causing the rack member, during displacement in one longitudinal direction, to operate both said gear means in succession to advance toweling toward each other, and for causing the rack member, during displacement in the opposite direction, to operate only one of the gear means and in a direction opposite to its previous operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the towel advancing means are disposed to establish a depending loop of toweling upon displacement of the rack member in the first-mentioned 1ongitudinal direction, and which includes means adapted to engage the inner face of the loop to limit the opposite displacement of the rack member by the tension of the toweling when the loop is drawn up, and wherein the rack member is biased to operate the last-mentioned gear means a further extent upon release of said toweling tension by the arrival of a free end of toweling, so as to withdraw said free end completely from depending position.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, including also an actuating member shiftable to engage the rack member and displace the same in the first-mentioned longitudinal direction, means biasing the actuating member to return to position of nonengagement with the rack member, means for displacing the rack member in its opposite direction but only at a predetermined time after completion of its displacement in the first direction, said last-mentioned means being adapted to carry the rack member beyond a position for subsequent engagement by the actuating member, and means responsive to the presence of toweling at both of said advancing means, for preventing said rack member displacing means from carrying the rack member beyond said position.

20. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, means including towel advancing and takeup means and a reciprocable operating device therefor, for advancing toweling into a loop for use and withdrawing the same therefrom, a manually controllable member engageable with the operating device to operate the same in loopforming direction, means for returning the device in loop withdrawing direction, and means responsive to engagement of the advancing and take-up means with both ends of the loop, for arresting the return of said device in a position for re-engagement of. the aforesaid member therewith, said returning means being adapted to move said device beyond said position upon release of a free end of toweling into the loop, for thereafter preventing re-engagement of the aforesaid member with the operating device.

21. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, an enclosure, means for advancing toweling into and from a loop depending from the enclosure for use, operating means therefor, and actuating means connectible to displace the operating means, said operating means including means responsive to release of a free end of toweling into said loop, for withdrawing said free end into said enclosure and for removing the operating means from a condition for operative connection of the actuating means thereto, to prevent subsequent towel-discharging displacement of the operating means by the actuating means.

22. In towel dispensing apparatus, in combination, a pair of towel-advancing means, a pair of driving gears respectively associated with said means, a toothed operating member selectively shiftable into driving engagement with one or the other of said driving gears, and locking means for holding the advancing means against operation when not under drive of the operating member, the locking means for each advancing means comprising a detent and means responsive to shift of the operating member away from the associated gear, for moving said detent into engagement with said gear.

PAUL F. HOAG.

PAUL D. PAYNE. 

